Material showering flight



,March 10, 1942. ARNOLD 2,275,600

MATERIAL SHOWERINQ FLIGHT Filed Jan. 15, 1941 INVENTOR A TTO'RNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERIAL snownamo men'r Gerald D. Arnold, mama, Wis.

Application January 13, 1941, Serial No. 374,266 2 Claims. (01. 259-3) The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of treating relatively loose material in bulk within a revolving chamber, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of flights for showering material such as comminuted hay of finely divided or ground organic orinorganic matter across the space within a drum rotating about an approximately horizontal axis.

An,object of the invention is to provide an improved flight for revolving loose material showering drums, which is of extremely simple construction and is highly effective in action.

Some of the more specific objects of this invention, are as follows:

To provide a new and useful flight structure for tubular cylinders orthe like adapted to be rotated about their longitudinal axes when disposed approximately horizontal, which structure is simple, durable, and inexpensive, and which can also be readily installed.

To provide an improved material cascading flight for rotary drums or the like; which can be constructed of sheet material or bar stock with the aid of simple tools, and which may also be readily applied in multiple either to the interi or or exterior of the rotary structure.

To provide an improved showering drum assembly having material elevating flights adapted to effectively shower and distribute the material uniformly throughout the entire drum interior, regardless of the direction of revolution of the drum. I

To provide an improved reversible flight structure which may be readily installed in a tubular casing for operation'in either direction, or in external and internal pairs, with the aid of rivet holes and rivets spaced equidistant apart on lines extending longitudinally of the casing.

To provide an improved material elevating and showering flight for revolving drums or the like, which may be so installed that it will operate with equal efficiency regardless of the direction of rotation of the carrying drum.

To provide an improved flight equipped showering drum assembly in which the drum rotation To provide an improved rotary dryer, heat exchange, or mixing drum assemblage of either the single or multiple pass type, having mate-' rial showering flights therein which may be no may be the same as, or opposite to, the spiral or rotary direction of movement of air or gas'currents which may be utilized for conveying material through the drum.

quickly and correctly produced and installed'by a novice.

Theseand other specific objects and advantages of the present improvement will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of several embodiments of the present invention, and of the mode of construction, installing and of operating flight assemblages, equally applicable to any heat exchange or continuous mixing drum, built in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Figrlis a central longitudinal vertical section through a'horizontally disposed triple pass dryer drum assemblage, showing more or less diagrammatically the mode of installing and of operating the dryer;

Fig. 2 is a similarly diagrammatic transverse vertical section through the medial portion of the dryer assembly of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through a fragment of the. inner drum shell and through a complementary pair of internal and external curved flights secured thereto by means of com-. mon rivets; I

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged transverse section through a fragment of an inner drum shell and through a complementary set of internal and external straight inclined flights also secured to the shell with the aid of a single row of rivets; and

Fig. 5 is a likewise enlarged transverse section through a fragment of an inner drum shell and through a complementary group of internal and external angular sectioned flights again secured to the shell with the use of asingle line of spaced rivets.

While the inventionrhas been shown and described herein as being especially adapted for application to a tubular horizontal revolving drying cylinder assemblage, it is not the desire or intent to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improved flights.

Referring especially to Figs. 1 and 2, the improved triple pass dryer assemblage shown therein, comprises in general; an outer elongated cylindrical drum or shell 8 having opposite end closures or heads 9, l0 provided respectively with a fresh material and hot gas inlet duct II. and

. a treated material and spent gas outlet duct I2;

an inner drum or shell l3 of relatively small diameter supported centrally within the shell I.

and extending away from the end head 8;. an intermediate drum or shell i4 disposed between and concentrically of the outer and inner shells 8, l3 and having one end spaced from the end head 9 while its other end is spaced from the open end of the inner shell l3 and from the opposite end head ill: a closure head l5 for the said other end of the shell 14, having central deflecting cones l6 thereon; and a plurality of elongated material showering flights l1 secured to the shells 8, l3, l4 and being rotatable with th drum assemblage. Thedryer drum assembly is ordinarily provided with' means for constantly rotating the same about its longitudinal axis while the latter is disposed approximately horizontal; and well known means are provided for delivering hot gases and material into the inlet duct I l, and for withdrawing the mixture of spent gases and treated material through the outlet duct l2 and for finally removing the treated product from the gases. The several drums or shells 8, l3, l4 are also firmly interconnected by guessets and other supports of well known construction which will maintain these shells in proper relative position without obstructing the flow of gases and material therethrough in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. All of the shells 8, I3, [4, the closure heads 9, 10, I5, the cones IS, the ducts H, I2, and the flights l1, may be formed of sheet metal, and the flights H are of improved construction and may assume various forms.

Referring specifically to Fig. 3, the improved material showering flights II shown therein, are

of the curved type, and each flight l'l comprises an elongated curved elevating flange l8 and an elongated attaching flange I 9 formed integral I therewith, the latter being provided with a series of equally spaced rivet holes the center lines 2| of which are all disposed in the same radial plane of the supporting drum or shell l3 which passes through the free edge 22 of the corresponding flange l8. The supporting shell i3 is also provided with a corresponding row of rivet holes 23, and rivets 24 may be applied to attach either one or a pair of the flights I! to the adjacent portion of the shell l3. While the attachmenthas been described in connection with the inner shell l3 only, the same mode of attachment applies to all of the other flights; and the location ofthe center lines 2| of the rivet holes 20 in the radial plane passing through the flight end or edge 22, is of considerable importance since this feature obviously makes the flights ll attachable to the shell I! for rotation of the machine in either direction while permitting utilization of the same rivet holes 20, 23.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, the modified improved material showering-flights 21 shown therein, are of the straight inclined type, and each of these flights 21 comprises an elongated plane elevating flange 28, and an elongated attaching flange 29 formed integral therewith and extending at an oblique angle thereto. The attaching flange 29 is provided with a rectilinear series of equally spaced rivet holes 20 the center lines 2| of which are likewise all disposed in the same radial plane .of the supporting shell l3 which passes through the free edge 30 of the corresponding inclined flange 28. This modified flight 21 may obviously be attached to the supporting shell l3 or to shells 8, l4, either singly or in pairs, and for either forward or reverse rotation, with the aid of rivets 24 coacting with the same rectilinear series of rivet holes 23 in the shell 8, l3, l4. These modified flights 21 produce material confining pockets which are somewhat shallower and of different shape. than those produced bythe flights I1.

Referring more especially to Fig. 5, the modified type of material showering flights 31 shown therein, are of the angular sectioned variety, and each of these flights 31 comprises an elongated transversely bent elevating flange 38, and an elongated flat attaching flange 39 formed integral with the flange 38 and extending approximately normal to the adjacent portion thereof. The attaching flange 39 is provided with a series of equally spaced rivet holes 20 the center lines 2| of which are again all disposed in the same radial plane of the carrying shell l3 and which passes through the free edges 40 of the corre-- sponding bent flange 38. This modified flight 31 may again .be attached to the carrying shell I 3,

or to a shell 8, I4, either singly or in sets of two, and for either forward or reverse rotation of the drum, with the aid of rivets 24 coacting with the same rectilinear row of rivet holes 23 formed in the shell 8, l3, l4. These modified flights 31 produce material receiving pockets which are deeper and of larger capacity, than those produced by the differently shaped flights I1, 21.

The principle of construction and operation of all of the improved flights I1, 21, 31 is the same, and these flights differ from each other primarily as to shape and carrying capacity. It will therefore sufiice to describe the mode of installing, and the action, of the flights I1, since these factors are the same in all of the types shown. After the flights II have been properly formed and cut to desired length, both these 'fligh'ts l1 and the several shells 8, l3, [4, should be provided with registerable rows of rivet holes 20, 23. The rivet holes 20 in the flights I! should be positioned with their center lines 2| spaced equidistant apart and in the radial planes of the flight edges 22; and the rivet holes 23 in the shells 8, l3, I4 should be arranged in rectilinear rows spaced equidistant apart circumferentially of the carrying shell, and with the individual holes 23 of each row spaced to register with the holes 20 of the flights H. The individual flights I! may then be attached to the several shells, either internallyor externally thereof, in either forward or reverse position, and either singly or in pairs, with the aid of the rivets 24; and the flights ll of any particular shell 8, l3, l4 may all be positioned in the same direction, or successive flights may be reversed as shown in Fig. 2

During normal operation ofa shell or drum equipped with the improved flights, the loose material which is admitted in bulk into one end of the constantly rotating structure, will be picked up by the revolving flights as it drops upon the lowermost portion of the shell. The successive batches of material thus picked up by the advancing flights, are gradually elevated and as these flights pass beyond the horizontal central plane of the drum they begin dumping their loads by showering the material toward the lower portions of the confining space. This showering action continues until all of the material pocketed by each flight has been delivered therefrom, and the duration of each showering period will depend upon the shape and disposiaon of the individual flights and upon the speed of rotation of the shell structure. By properly forming the flights and selecting the speed of rotation, material may be caused to shower or cascade uni- 'formly throughout the entire confined space be apparentthat my present invention provides an improved flight structure for rotary tubular cylinders, drums or shells, which is simple in construction, readily installable, andhighly eflicient in operation. The improved flights can obviously be readily formed from sheet metal with simple It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction, or to the precise mode of use, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

tools, and can be quickly and conveniently applied to a shell either in forward or reverse posi-,

tion with the aid of the same rows of rivet holes 23. This reversal is made possible by locating the flight edges 22, 30, All in the same radial planes of the carrying shell, and by positioning the center lines of the attaching rivets in these planes, so that the flights will always be symmetrical with respect to these planes and cen.- ter lines. The improved flight structures may obviously be utilized in any type of rotary drum structure, for the purpose of showering any desired kind of granular comminuted or other loose material, and is not limited to rotary dryer installations. While the flights have been described as being attached to the shells by means of rivets, it is to be noted that clamping bolts or other attaching elements may be utilized in place of rivets.

I claim; 1. Anarticle of manufacture, comprising an elongated sheet metal flight for suspension from the interior of material showering drums, said flight having a flat supporting portionprovided with a rectilinear row of equally spaced attaching holes and an elevatii portion extending away from the supporting portion at an acute angle,

all of the center lines of the attaching holes in the supporting portion being disposed in the same radial plane of the supporting drum which passes through the free edge of said elevating portion,

2. An article of manufacture, comprising an elongated sheet metal flight for suspension from the interior of metal showering drums, said flight having a flat supporting portion provided with a rectilinear row of spaced attaching holes and an elevating portion having a part thereof extending at an acute angle to the plane of the supporting portion, all of the center lines of attaching holes in the supporting portion being disposed in the same radial plane of the supporting drum which passes through the free edge of said elevating portion.

GERALD D. ARNOLD. 

